Mathematical optimisation of magnetic nanoparticle diffusion in the brain white matter
Author(s)
Yuan, Tian
Yang, Yi
Zhan, Wenbo
Dini, Daniele
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are a promising drug delivery system to treat brain diseases, as the particle transport trajectory can be manipulated by an external magnetic field. However, due to the complex microstructure of brain tissues, particularly the arrangement of nerve fibres in the white matter (WM), how to achieve desired drug distribution patterns, e.g., uniform distribution, is largely unknown. In this study, by adopting a mathematical model capable of capturing the diffusion trajectories of MNPs, we conducted a pilot study to investigate the effects of key parameters in the MNP delivery on the particle diffusion behaviours in the brain WM microstructures. The results show that (i) a uniform distribution of MNPs can be achieved in anisotropic tissues by adjusting the particle size and magnetic field; (ii) particle size plays a key role in determining MNPs’ diffusion behaviours. The magnitude of MNP equivalent diffusivity is reversely correlated to the particle size. The MNPs with a dimension greater than 90 nm cannot reach a uniform distribution in the brain WM even in an external magnitude field; (iii) axon tortuosity may lead to transversely anisotropic MNP transport in the brain WM; however, this effect can be mitigated by applying an external magnetic field perpendicular to the local axon track. This study not only advances understanding to answer the question of how to optimise MNP delivery, but also demonstrates the potential of mathematical modelling to help achieve desired drug distributions in biological tissues with a complex microstructure.
Date Issued
2023-02
Date Acceptance
2023-01-26
Citation
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2023, 24 (3), pp.1-15
ISSN
1422-0067
Publisher
MDPI AG
Start Page
1
End Page
15
Journal / Book Title
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Volume
24
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000932961800001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=a2bf6146997ec60c407a63945d4e92bb
Subjects
BEHAVIOR
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
brain tissue
Chemistry
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
diffusion
drug delivery
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
magnetic nanoparticle
mathematical modelling
PHASE-I
Physical Sciences
Science & Technology
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
2534
Date Publish Online
2023-01-28